Flexure carriages and devices are known in the art and are used for high resolution instrumentation and measuring equipment such as scanning probe microscopes and the like. These flexure devices typically carry thereon a probe or a sensor, or a specimen to be analyzed. Either the specimen or the probe is moved in very small increments in a plane relative to the other for determining surface or subsurface characteristics of the specimen. These devices are typically designed so as to move highly precisely and accurately in an X-Y plane and yet move very little in a Z direction perpendicular to the X-Y plane. The sensing probe typically measures surface defects, variation of the specimen's components, surface contour or other surface or subsurface characteristic. These types of devices may also be designed and utilized for other applications as well, such as imaging and measuring properties of computer microchips, computer disc surfaces, and other physical or chemical properties. The range of measurement for such devices is typically on the order of one Angstrom (Å) to several hundred microns (μ).
In order to provide this type of extremely high resolution measurement, these devices require precise and minute micro-positioning capabilities within an X-Y plane and yet ideally permit no movement in a Z direction perpendicular to the plane. The flexure devices or carriages which hold the sensing probe or specimen of such devices are designed and utilized to provide just such movement.
A known flexure carriage construction uses a piezoelectric actuator which utilizes an applied electric potential to micro-position portions of the flexure devices. Conventional or known devices typically can only provide very flat movement in an X-Y plane over a very small relative area. The larger the range of movement, the greater the out-of-plane movement becomes, (i.e., the motion becomes increasingly curved or less flat). This is because of the construction and arrangement of the piezoelectric element in the devices. The piezoelectric elements bend partially out of their longitudinal axis and therefore apply out of axis forces which induce errors. The out of axis forces and resultant errors increase with increased expansion of the piezoelectric elements.
One device, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,974 and assigned to International Business Machines Corporation of Armonk, N.Y., provides a fairly flat movement in an X-Y direction or plane utilizing a dual frame arrangement where each frame is supported in opposite directions by flexible legs. Any Z direction motion perpendicular to the plane of one frame of the device is cancelled by movement of the other frame to maintain a very flat movement. However, the disclosed device utilizes long external piezoelectric elements which are oriented parallel to the plane of movement in order to eliminate or reduce rotation or yaw produced by the device. Such a device is much too large in certain applications.
Applications that employ such minute micro-positioning and sensing technology increasingly demand higher resolution measurements. For example, computer technology continues to reduce the size and increase the package density for the electronic elements in microchips and circuits. Meanwhile, the volume in which they are being produced and thus the size of the wafers on which they are made is also increasing. It is therefore becoming increasingly necessary to provide flexure devices which are capable of relatively large ranges of movement in an X-Y plane, which prevent movement in a Z axis perpendicular to the plane, and which are relatively small in size so that they may be utilized in equipment that must be smaller, less expensive and more accurate. It should be understood that while measurement on a smaller scale is being discussed, changes to a sample on similar scales, such as nanolithography and micro-machining, may also need to be performed with this level of accuracy. Thus, the discussion herein is intended to encompass fabrication as well as measurement.